THREE

RAPHAEL’S POV

“You are seriously taking a maid for the Luna game competition?” Darius, my beta’s voice rang out. He tended to be a bit too loud and it pissed it off at certain occasions— certain occasions like this one.

“Can you at least keep your voice down?” I sneered, growing impatient from waiting for Lyra and that scheming Edmund. I wondered what the hell was keeping them and what exactly he was doing to Lyra. I felt my blood boil at the thought of him bullying her again.

The wound on her neck was certainly not a bruise, I could tell it wasn't and the look in her eyes. The look of someone who lives in fear and constant agitation.

“Come on now, Edmund. Has it gotten to that? Did you not see anyone else?” He probed, shoving me playfully in the sides.

I was pretty sure that I was putting on an expression that clearly said do not talk to me, but either he was too blind to see or plain out dumb to not read my body language.

“She is not just a maid, Darius,” I explained, voicing out the thoughts that had disturbed me since I set my eyes on her, “ there is something different about her, something special I just cannot place a finger on what it is… that feels so …different,” I mused much more to myself than to him.

“Uh huh, that's your method of convincing yourself, isn't it now?”

“No Darius,” I turned to him, hoping to paint an image of what was going on in my mind to him, “just think about it, have you seen a maid and Omega with such eyes as hers?”

My mind drifted back to her eyes, the orbs that had enchanted me and her hair. Edmund definitely knew more, because why else would they try dying the color of the hair? What were they hiding and who exactly was she.

“From what I have heard and seen it seems like the alpha king is interested in some maid?” His words sounded demeaning, what exactly did he mean by referring to her as 'some maid,’

“ Tell me if that’s true,” he rattled on, “is that why you picked her? Because from all my years of working with you, being your beta and your friend, I have never seen you pick a contestant based off his emotions,”

He was right, everyone knew I had a rigid criteria for selection. It was my future mate I was picking out, the one that needed to save me, liberate me from my whole stupid life but somehow hers was different and my decision was unusual, even for me.

“Something is different about her. Even my wolf knows it,” I insisted, wanting to kill off the topic.

“Oh my…” his shrill voice rang out, interrupting my thoughts. “Is that her?” My eyes followed his finger, landing on the girl I never thought I would be interested in.

I watched her as she moved, her thin and small body in that baggy dirty brown dress she had been put in.She was walking towards us, clutching a very small bag.

I raised my brows in concern, taking another look at the bag in her hand. It was just bigger than a normal woman's big hand bag. Was that all her belongings?

I noticed Edmund beside her, his face pulled into a hard look, his brows stringed up into a frown. I couldn't care less about what was going on in his messed up mind.

“The lanky unkempt girl coming beside Edmund? Is that her?”

“You are not allowed to speak on anything for now, Darius,” I shut him up.

“I'm sorry my alpha,” I heard him apologize behind me as I took long strides in their direction. I had the option of letting them walk all the way down here but I feel compelled to help her out with her stuff.

“Why do you own such little belongings as the ex of the esteemed Edmund?” My curiosity got the best of me as I took the bag from her despite the mild resistance she had put on.

“You have nothing to worry about alpha. Lyra here is quite the simpleton,” he explained, his lips curving into a smile.

I glanced at Lyra whose head was still bowed even though we were clearly talking about her, “Is that so?”

“Yes,” he replied almost immediately, “So about the deal, when will it be completed?”

“You have nothing to worry about, everything we discussed will be done,”

“Alright, I'll be waiting for feedback from you,”

I could see him from inside the car, waiting till the engine was brought to life and we left the arena.

Turning to Lyra whose eyes seem to be fixated on the road ahead. I could sense how scared she was. I mean I would be too, not knowing my fate was definitely scary.

“So how long have you been staying with Edmund?” I asked in an attempt to get her to loosen up and be a bit more free with me.

“Is… I— is there any problem. Um, will questions be asked at the Luna games competition?” Her hands made it to the hem of her shirt. She was fidgeting, nervous and scared to death. I wanted to reach over and make her feel safe. I didn't know why but I just wanted to assure her that no one was going to hurt her— not on my watch.

“No I just …,,” I stuttered, noticing her rubbing her bare skin, “you seem cold,” I pointed out.

“I'm fine,”

“No you are not,” I insisted, handing her my jacket, “ Have this,”

“You really don't have to worry, your highness. I can manage,”

“But I insist,”

I raised my head to meet Kyle, the driver's confused expression as he keenly observed what was going on from the mirror.

“Mind your business Kyle,” I warned, scowling at him

“I'm sorry sir,”

**********

“My Alpha,” Darius calls out the minute the car comes to a halt, helping me open the door.

“Yes, Darius.”

“Should I show her where the rest of the girls are?”

Ignoring him, I turned to Lyra who was standing behind me, “Lyra you will be coming with me,”

“Why does she seem scared? It's quite obvious she is being bullied back at that jerk Edmunds place,” my wolf interrupts, his voice ringing in my head.

“Yeah,” I shrugged, taking note of that point as well, “and I'm guessing she has been warned to not spill,”

“Exactly. But— she does have nice features,”

“Why are you deviating from the reason why she was brought here?”

“Because she would not be added to the competition. She shouldn't be,”

“Then why else is she here?”

“Because I feel something unique about her. I know you can feel it too,”

“She is more than just a puny Omega,” I agreed.

“And I want her,”

“Where are we going sir?” her soothing voice caused my wolf to retreat back inside my head

“This way,” I instructed, leading her to my room.

I remained outside waiting for her to go in first before I entered and locked the door.

Her widened eyes were all I needed to let me know she was scared… beyond scared.

I took careful, calculated steps to where she stood, stopping at only an inch away from her

“Are you scared?” I inquired, cocking my head to the right, to get a better view of her face, “ You are very beautiful my Lyra,”

“Um.. is this part of the Luna game competition?”

“Maybe,” I chuckled, enjoying her innocence,

“Take off your clothes now.”